FINAL PROPOSALS

Community No. 14 - GLANTWYMYN

Introduction

1. The present community of Glantwymyn is located in north-western Montgomeryshire, and the community boundary is also the county boundary for much of its length. Its topography is defined by the valley of the river Dyfi and its tributaries, the afonydd Twymyn, Ffernant and Dulas, the latter forming the community and county boundary. These valleys are used by major regional routes, the A458, A470 and A487, which link mid, North and west Wales. The community is bounded by the Dyfi Forest in the north and by Mynydd y Cemais to the east. There are a number of settlements in this community, with Abercegir, Cemmaes, Commins Coch, Cwmllinau, Darowen, Esgairgeiliog-Ceinws, Glantwymyn / Cemmaes Road and Llanwrin all defined as small villages in the Powys Unitary Development Plan, and with Tal-y-wern, Brynmelin and Cwmllinau Uchaf defined as rural settlements.

2. The community has a population of 1,106, an electorate of 951 (2005) and a council of 15 members. The community is warded: Cemmaes with 364 electors and five councillors; Darown with 272 and four; Dulas with 147 and three, and Llanwrin with 168 and three. The precept required for 2005 is £6,000, representing a Council Tax Band D equivalent of £10.22.

3. In the 1986 Review, the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales was anxious to reorganise and merge the seven former and very small communities of Bro Ddyfi to form viable new communities. The Commission was also anxious to examine the community boundaries closely to ensure that they accurately reflected the social communities of the area. The Commission's proposals were for the merger of the then communities of Caereinion Fechan, Cemmaes, Darowen and Llanwrin to form the new community of Glantwymyn. The Commission also made a number of boundary adjustments. In the northeast, the area of Tafolog was transferred from the then community of Cemmaes to the new community of Llanbrynmair, and in the southwest the community boundary was defined as the watershed along Bryn-wg, Ffridd Uchaf to Moelfre between the valleys of the afonydd Ffernant and Crewi. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales made its final recommendations for a community council of twelve members with the following warding arrangement: Cemmaes with 320 electors and five councillors; Darowen with 260 electors and four councillors, and Llanwrin with 180 electors and three councillors.

4. The Commission also looked closely at the boundaries of the then district of Montgomeryshire and the then county of Powys with the then district of Meirionydd and the then county of Gwynedd to the north of the community. Two of the Commission's proposals were for a realignment of the community, district and county boundaries at Aberangell to transfer part of the village of Aberangell from the then county of Powys to the then county of Gwynedd, and to transfer a spur of land north-east of Aberangell and including Ty Mawr farm from the then county of Gwynedd to the then county of Powys. These proposals were accepted by the

Final Proposals – Montgomeryshire – Community M$q4nloqfw.doc Secretary of State for Wales in his decision letter of 27 July 1981 on the review of communities in the then district of Meirionydd. The Commission also made proposals for the transfer of the eastern part of the Dulas valley from the then county of Powys to the then county of Gwynedd to form a new community of Dulas Valley in the latter county. However, at a Local Inquiry in this matter, held at Corris on 29 March 1978, and in representations, the Commission found considerable opposition to these proposals. This matter was resolved in the decision letter of the Secretary of State dated 21 October 1985 where it was decided that the then district and county boundaries at this location should not be altered. With regard to the proposed community of Glantwymyn, the Secretary of State proceeded to sanction a community council of fifteen members with the following warding arrangement: Cemmaes with 320 electors and five councillors; Darowen with 260 electors and four councillors; Dulas with 135 electors and three councillors, and Llanwrin with 180 electors and three councillors.

Summary of representations received prior to preparation of Draft Proposals

5. A submission form has been received from Glantwymyn Community Council, proposing no changes in this community.

Assessment

6. The electorate of Glantwymyn has increased from 895 in 1980 to 951 in 2005. The Powys Unitary Development Plan allocates four sites for a total of 25 dwellings in the eight small villages in this community. There may be further opportunities for infill development and opportunities for affordable housing development adjacent to the settlement development boundaries, and there are also opportunities for affordable housing development in the rural settlements of Tal-y-wern, Brynmelin and Cwmllinau Uchaf that lie in this community in accordance with Policy HP9 of the Plan, for a limited number of dwellings in the open countryside in accordance with Policy HP6 of the Plan, and for conversions in accordance with Policy GP6 of the Plan. We note that this community's electorate will rise, therefore, to about 995 electors. Such an electorate would suggest an entitlement in accordance with Table 7 - Guide to Allocation of Councillors to Community Councillors to ten or possibly eleven councillors. However, we are mindful of the conclusions of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales in the 1986 Review. The Commission decided upon a warding arrangement based on the former communities, and "to achieve good parity of representation between the wards", they proposed a higher-than-usual allocation of councillors in this case. Furthermore, this was sanctioned by the Secretary of State for Wales in the Decision Letter of 21 October 1985: "The Dulas ward will have an allocation of three councillors. Consequently, the allocation of councillors to the Community of Glantwymyn will be increased from 12 to 15". We have also examined the records of ordinary elections held for this community council since 1987, and we find that in only one instance has this community council been required to co-opt a member to serve on its council.

Final Proposals – Montgomeryshire – Community M$q4nloqfw.doc 7. We have given careful consideration to the question of whether this community should continue to be divided into wards. We are required to apply the criteria in Schedule 11 of the 1972 Act in our consideration of this matter, and these are that (a) the number or distribution of the local government electors for the community is such as to make a single election of community councillors impracticable or inconvenient; and (b) it is desirable that areas of the community should be separately represented on the community council. We consider that both these criteria are met in this community. The community is currently divided into four polling districts; these reflect the ward boundaries, and the electors vote in three separate polling stations. This extensive community has eight small villages, and the warding arrangement also secures a good parity of representation across the different parts of the community. The ward boundaries follow the courses of the afonydd Dyfi and Twymyn and the watershed between the afonydd Dulas and Dyfi: natural boundaries that represent a very appropriate parting of local attachments. However, the ward boundary between the Cemmaes and Darowen wards, following the course of the afon Twymyn, runs through the small village of Commins Coch. We consider that there should be an amendment to the ward boundary here. It would be most appropriate to transfer the whole of this small village to the Darowen ward for the following reasons: this would maintain parity between the wards and the small village neighbours and has close links with the small village of Glantwymyn / Cemmaes Road in the Darowen ward. We believe that less than twenty properties would be affected by such a transfer.

8. We have given consideration to the current allocation of councillors between wards. (Schedule 11(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 requires us, in fixing the number of community councillors to be elected for each ward, to have regard to any change in the number or distribution of the local government electors of the community which is likely to take place.) The table below well-illustrates that the allocation of councillors between wards will not be so far removed from the allocation sanctioned by the Secretary of State in the Decision Letter of 21 October 1985 as to merit altering the arrangements that he laid down for the community at that time.

Cemmaes Darowen Dulas Llanwrin Projected 370 290 150 185 Electorate Percentage 37.2 29.1 15.1 18.6 of total electorate Councillor 5.58 4.37 2.27 2.79 entitlement

9. In our assessment of this community, we have been particularly mindful of the Decision Letter of the Secretary of State for Wales, dated 21 October 1985, and it is that letter primarily that has persuaded us that, in the absence of any other material considerations and in the absence of representations for change from the existing community council, no substantial changes should be made to this community.

Draft Proposals

Final Proposals – Montgomeryshire – Community M$q4nloqfw.doc 10. That there should be a community of Glantwymyn comprising the present community of that name;

The community should have a council of 15 members;

The community should be warded as at present, but that an adjustment should be made to the ward boundary at Commins Coch to ensure that the whole of that small village falls in the Darowen ward.

(Ward) Electorate No of Councillors Electors per Councillor

Cemmaes 364 5 73 Darowen 272 4 68 Dulas 147 3 49 Llanwrin 168 3 56

Responses to the Council’s Draft Proposals

11. No comments or submissions were received on the Draft Proposals.

Final Proposals

12. That there should be a community of Glantwymyn comprising the present community of that name;

The community should have a council of 15 members;

The community should be warded as at present, but that an adjustment should be made to the ward boundary at Commins Coch to ensure that the whole of that small village falls in the Darowen ward.

(Ward) Electorate No of Councillors Electors per Councillor

Cemmaes 364 5 73 Darowen 272 4 68 Dulas 147 3 49 Llanwrin 168 3 56

Final Proposals – Montgomeryshire – Community M$q4nloqfw.doc